The Pole
by greyhoundredux
Summary: "Come on, Curtis," Curly said, cracking his knuckles. A look of pure defiance flashed across his features. "How many people can say that they've done that? We can tell everyone our amazing story. Who wouldn't wanna do that?" I just shook my head, because that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard.


**A/N: **Hello. This is obviously pre-book.  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Outsiders_.

* * *

It was the first Saturday of the summer and I was bored. The leaves were stirring loudly from the warm breeze outside, and I was trying to force myself to read some of my old books.

I picked up _Moby Dick_ and attempted to read the first page. But I couldn't make it through. Sometimes you just have to be in a certain mood to read a certain book.

I was restless and I wanted to do something. Darry was working and Sodapop was either out with Sandy or at work or with Steve somewhere.

So I was by myself. _Maybe I should call Johnny_, I thought. I decided against it and went outside to smoke a weed.

The warm air rubbed against my skin and I basked in it. It was quiet, peaceful.

But I needed to move. To do something.

I decided I would take a walk to the DX. I needed more cigarettes anyway. I was almost done with my last pack, and I was sure Sodapop could give me some more for cheap. Or possibly free.

It seemed to get hotter the more I walked, and I eventually started fanning myself with my hand. The DX was coming in to view and I decided I was going to get an ice cold Pepsi while I was at it.

The door bell clanged as I walked through the door. Sodapop was working behind the counter today. _Good_, I thought absentmindedly. _It's too hot to be working outside all day_.

"Hey, Sodapop," I said happily.

"Hey, Pony," he said as he swung his legs over the counter to greet me by the door.

"Can I get some cigarettes?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, jumping off. "But ya can't keep takin' them for free. Eventually my boss'll find out."

"So…" I looked up at him. "I can have some cigarettes?" I grinned a wide grin.

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, kid."

"And… and a Pepsi too?"

Soda rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Sure thing," There was a pause. "What are you doin' today?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "Might just go walkin' around."

I started to walk out the door, grabbing a bottle of Pepsi and a pack of cigarettes on my way out. "Okay. See ya around, Pony."

"Bye, Sodapop!"

The door bell chimed behind me as I left.

* * *

I was starting to get bored with all of the walking I was doing. I was also getting worn out from the heat.

I decided I would call it a day when I saw Curly Shepard stride down the other end of the sidewalk, confidence and/or stupidity prominent on his face.

I thought he would be a good source of entertainment for the day. "Hey, Curly!" I called.

He walked closer to me. "Hey, Curtis," he said. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, nothin'," I shrugged carelessly. "Just been bummin' around."

"What I've been doin' all day," he said, and we started to walk in the opposite direction.

He was telling me about how stupid his sister Angela was when we saw it.

The telephone pole on Hampton Street.

It was tall; so tall I couldn't even see the top of it. It had sneakers thrown over the cables, and looked to be in terrible condition. Curly and I both stopped to stare at it.

"Hey, Curtis," Curly nudged me hard in the shoulder. "Ya know what we should do?"

I inwardly groaned. I didn't like the sound of that. "What?"

"We should tie our shoes together and throw them over the cables like those other people did."

"Why would you wanna do that?" I asked. I scratched the back of my neck.

"Come on, man! Let's just do it! Every time we drive by with people we could tell them about how that's our shoes!" His stupidity was almost scary.

"No way, man. I ain't got any extra shoes. 'Sides, Darry would kill me if I lost my only pair. We can't afford any more."

Curly rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Yeah," he grunted. "I guess you're right."

"Not to mention, we'd have to walk home in our stocking feet. The ground's too hot."

"Yeah, man, I guess you're right," he repeated. He continued to rub his jaw, staring at the pole.

I shrugged. "Maybe we should just go home," I muttered. We were getting dangerously close to Brumly territory. Too close for my liking.

Curly smiled an evil smile. "I got a better idea."

_Oh, gosh_. "Yeah?" I laughed. "And what is that?"

"Let's climb the pole."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" I snapped, because he was so stupid it was starting to scare me. Typical Curly.

"Come on, Curtis," Curly said, cracking his knuckles. A look of pure defiance flashed across his features. "How many people can say that they've done that? We can tell everyone our amazing story. Who wouldn't wanna do that?"

I just shook my head, because that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. "If you wanna do that, go ahead. I ain't that dumb."

He looked like he was going to kill me but I knew he wouldn't. I just rolled my eyes. I snorted and took a drink of my Pepsi.

"Okay," Curly muttered. "If you just wanna be a wuss that's your problem."

He started to climb up and I put my head in my hands. I rolled my eyes, only slightly nervous.

"Curly, don't be thick!" I yelled as he got closer to the top. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Wow!" Curly shouted back, ignoring me. "You can see all o' Tulsa from up here!"

I lit a cigarette. "That's great! Now get back down here! Tim will kill you if he finds out you're up there."

He tried to take a step down, and seemed to lose his footing. I sucked in a gasp, and it was a blur as he let go of the side ladder. He couldn't grab a hold of anything.

He started to fall, and everything seemed eerily quiet all of a sudden. For a split second, I saw the most panic-stricken facial expression I ever seen. I don't think I'll ever forget the way he looked.

And then: "_FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK_!" The scream got louder and louder the closer he got to the ground. Then: _wham!_

He didn't make a sound when he landed. There was a sickening crack of bone meeting ground, and I cringed, wishing I hadn't seen or heard that. "Oh, shit," I whispered with a glimmer of a laugh. I put my hands over my mouth, shocked but also amused. It was sort of funny. Served the idiot right.

I ran over to him with speed that would have been useful at a track meet. "Are you okay, Curly?" I asked, starting to feel slightly panicky that he didn't get up right away.

He was paler than I ever seen him. "Does it look like I'm okay, Ponyboy?" He took a deep breath. "And they say you're smart." It sounded mangled, like he was struggling to get the words out.

"I'm calling Tim," I said. I was already running to the payphone down the street.

"No!" Curly shouted. "I'm fine!" And I would have believed him if I didn't see the pain written all over his face or if I didn't hear some bones in his body break.

I put some money in to the phone and dialed.

"What?" Tim's deep voice rumbled. He sounded drunk or hungover.

"Uh, Tim?" My voice sounded small.

"Is this the baby Curtis?"

"Um…" I wasn't used to being called the baby Curtis. "Yeah… you might wanna get down here."

"What did the idiot do this time?" He took a breath and grunted.

I was thrown off guard. How'd he know? "Well, Curly… he, um… He-he fell off the telephone pole on Hampton," Then, I added quickly, "I told him not to go up there."

"God dammit!" he swore bitterly. "I'll be there in five minutes."

* * *

Tim pulled up in his rusted truck, swearing up a storm.

"You God damn idiot. What the fuck did you think you were doin'?"

"Tim, I-I -" Curly tried to say. Tim was the only person who could make Curly stutter that way.

"What did you do?" Tim interrupted him, pulling him up on his two feet.

"I think I broke my arm."

"Broke your arm? Are you fucking kidding me? I have half a mind to not even take you to the hospital, you dipshit. Maybe teach you a lesson."

"I'm sorry, Tim," Curly said, suddenly sounding tougher. "God damn it! This fucking hurts!"

"You deserve it."

Tim turned to me suddenly, and I stiffened. I was afraid he was mad at me too. He was just not a person you wanted mad at you. I straightened my back up, and he said, "Why don't ya leave, Curtis?"

I didn't protest. I could still hear them bickering as I retreated farther and farther away from them.

I only had one thought on my mind: _Curly sure is an idiot._

* * *

**A/N: **Please review!

Gotta love them Shepard boys.


End file.
